A Messy Case and A Long Chat
by kensi54382
Summary: It has been a long week for the team, what with a messy case involving a love triangle, a murder, two kidnappings, and child abuse. The case is finally closed, but it's had a lasting effect on one particular agent. Can a chat with Gibbs work its usual magic and fix the problem? Or will it make everything worse? AU WARNING: CONTAINS CHILD ABUSE. DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT!
1. Chapter 1

**It has been a long week for the team, what with a messy case involving a love triangle, a murder, two kidnappings, and child abuse. The case is finally closed, but it's had a lasting effect on one particular agent. Can a chat with Gibbs work its usual magic and fix the problem? Or will it make everything worse?**

 **Warning: contains child abuse and is not for everyone. Please don't read if you don't like it.**

* * *

Gibbs was in his basement, working on a high chair for Palmer's daughter, when he heard his front door close. He didn't doubt who his late night visitor was- it was obvious after the case they had been working on all week. Gibbs had noticed right from the start that one of his agents wasn't coping, but he had held his tongue so as not to bring attention to issues in their past. He had known that, at some point, they would come to him to talk things over. While he waited for his visitor, Gibbs emptied one of his jars and grabbed a mug from his bench. He filled both with a small amount of scotch just as footsteps reached his basement door.

"Come down," Gibbs said as he went back to his wood.

* * *

Tony parked in Gibbs' driveway, hesitating for a moment. He knew that Gibbs had seen through his mask that week, and was very appreciative of it not being brought up. He had come there with the intention of asking Gibbs for some advice, but he wasn't sure if he should bring it up. Gibbs knew about his childhood and all the problems coming from it, so his problem would be obvious.

Shaking his head, Tony opened the front door and headed to the basement. It was ten pm, but Tony knew his boss was still awake. He heard Gibbs call out, "come down," and walked down the staircase.

"Gibbs, I need to talk," said Tony once he reached the last step.

"I know." Gibbs put his tool down and grabbed the two glasses of alcohol. He handed one to Tony.

"I couldn't help it. The case really got to me this week."

"Because of your past?"

Tony drank the scotch before nodding. "Yeah. As soon as the child abuse came out, I couldn't stop thinking about Senior. You know about this, right?"

"Some of it. Tell me."

"What do you already know?"

"I know that he didn't care about you, but that was pretty obvious when he came here the first time, and every other time after that. I know that he sent you to boarding schools and Rhode Island Military Academy."

"You don't know anything else?"

"There's nothing else in your file Tony. What am I missing?"

"So much." Tony handed the glass back to Gibbs, then went for a walk around the basement, trying to gather his thoughts before speaking again.

Gibbs watched Tony pacing around the room, lost in thought. He didn't dare interrupt, knowing how Tony could be when something sensitive was a problem. He wasn't lying when he said that he knew some of the things Tony had been through as a child, but if he had heard correctly, child abuse had also been a factor. And that was something he had never heard about. Tony had never mentioned anything like it before.

"I hate child abuse cases," said Tony quietly, pulling Gibbs from his thoughts. "I really hate them."

Gibbs thought for a moment, then realised something- every child abuse case they had ever had, Tony had somehow avoided it. Whether it was because he was working another case, or out sick, even on personal leave, he always managed to get out of working them. It had never really occurred to Gibbs that maybe there was a reason behind Tony finding a reason to not work on those cases. It made sense now.

"Before my mother died, everything was okay. My father was hardly around, big surprise there, so I spent all my time with mum. It was amazing, perfect. Fun. When she died, that's when everything changed. My dad became my sole parent, and he made sure that everyone knew he was a single father. But he only did it to get sympathy from women he wanted to sleep with. He never cared about me."

Gibbs picked up a plane and started working again. He knew Tony would continue talking if he felt comfortable, and what better way to make him feel safe to talk than to continue working like he wasn't listening. Tony knew he was listening anyway.

"I think I was nine when it started. My dad took me with him to Orlando on a business trip. I was sitting in the hotel room, as close to the heater as I could get. It was winter, and the air outside was freezing. My dad had said that he would be back in an hour, and when he got back, I had better be in bed. He left, so I watched some TV for a while. Magnum was on, so I watched the episode, then turned off the TV, cleaned up the hotel room, and went to bed. I was just falling asleep when my dad came in. He was drunk, not for the first time that trip. I kept telling myself to pretend to be asleep so I wouldn't have to deal with him until the morning, but that night was different. I don't know if he really knew what he was doing at that point, but he seemed to like it."

Gibbs heard Tony's breath catch, and thought he knew where this was going. He really hoped he was wrong, because if he wasn't, Gibbs was going to hunt down and murder Senior.

Tony's voice wavered as he continued. "I cried and screamed, but that just made him continue. He laughed at me and told me I was a baby. He wanted me to, and I quote, suck it up and take it like a man. I begged him and begged him to stop."

Gibbs looked up and saw tears running down Tony's face. His heart broke into a million pieces as he watched Tony try to keep it together. "Tony, you don't have to tell me this," he said softly.

"I have to tell someone..."

"Why not Rachel? She's much better than I am at this."

"I already tried to tell her. I couldn't. But it's different with you. You are the one person I have always been able to trust, the one person I never, ever want to disappoint."

"You don't disappoint me, Tony. Sometimes you do stupid things, but you never disappoint me. Please don't think that."

"Thank you." Tony gave a half smile before returning to his pacing. "It lasted for nearly fifteen minutes, and he left me bleeding and hurt in the bed. The next day we went home. That wasn't the last time either. Sometimes it was molesting me, other times he would beat me. Once, he even made me strip off my clothes and stand in front of himself and his friends for five minutes. One of them paid him to take me into the bedroom and do what he wanted to me. I was eleven at the time."

"Did this stop?"

"About a year later. Just after I turned twelve and went off to boarding school."

"You must have been relieved."

"Yes, in a way. My first two boarding schools were a nightmare. It was like a sign was hanging around my neck that said 'abuse me!' I can't tell you how many teachers and students at those schools beat me and molested me." Tony's voice was a whisper, making Gibbs strain to hear everything.

"Was anything done about this?"

"I never told anyone. Not about my father, not about those schools. Who was I supposed to tell? It's only a recent thing that men are being recognised as victims of these crimes. Nobody would have believed me back then. The only teacher I ever had that cared about me was in military school, and I was too scared to even tell him."

"Tony, something needs to be done about this."

"I know that. But I can't tell anyone. It took me thirteen years to tell you."

"You told me, and that's the main thing. It's the first step. You can tell someone else now, and I'll be there to back you up if you need me."

"I guess I should talk to someone, huh?"

"Only if you want to. Look how long it took me to speak with a therapist. And that was because Dr Taft almost forced me into it."

"I guess I could tell Rachel... She's nice, and I trust her."

"Then, make an appointment with her. Tell her what happened. It isn't something that's easy to talk about, but Rachel will help you through it. You can't keep avoiding the issue, or it will never go away."

Tony nodded. His tears were falling freely now, and he had started sobbing. He was on the far side of the basement now, well away from Gibbs. He slid down the wall until he was on the ground, crying and shaking. He didn't even hear Gibbs come closer until the older man was sitting next him.

"Tony, why didn't you tell me this sooner? Why did you keep it hidden when you told me everything else?"

Tony shook his head. "I... I wanted to tell you... I just didn't want you to think anything less of me. It sounds stupid, I know, but if you had changed the way you look at me, the way you treat me, I wouldn't have been able to handle it."

Gibbs nodded. He understood. Instead of saying anything, he put his arm around Tony and pulled him into a hug. It was rare that Tony opened up to him, or to anyone for that matter, but it was even more rare when Tony cried. Gibbs hated seeing his best friend cry. It always managed to break his heart, always managed to make him want to protect Tony as much as he protected Abby, if not more.

"Tony," Gibbs said after a few minutes. "I'm here if you need me, okay? But you need to see someone and deal with it."

"I will. Please don't say anything to anyone, especially Vance. I don't want him to force me to speak with the NCIS shrink."

"Nobody will hear about this from me, I promise. Now, you are staying here tonight. You can borrow some clothes from me to sleep in if you need to. Then tomorrow, I want you to make an appointment with Rachel and talk to her. I don't want to see you at work tomorrow, understood?"

"Okay. Thank you boss." Tony smiled. "I appreciate this."

Gibbs nodded. He stood and helped Tony stand up, then they both headed up the stairs to the bedrooms.


	2. Chapter 2

When Tony awoke the next morning, he was confused. Unsure of where he was, since he was still half asleep, he climbed out from the bed and opened the door, peeking out into the hallway.

"Morning, DiNozzo," said Gibbs a minute later as he walked past the slightly open door.

"Boss?" Tony asked as memories of the previous night hit him. "Oh..."

"You okay? I can stay home today if you need some company."

Tony shook his head. "I'm good. I'll head home and shower, then call Rachel."

"I already spoke with her. It's almost ten am, Tony. You must have been pretty tired to have slept that long."

"I haven't slept in days," said Tony, shame creeping up on him. "Thanks for calling Rachel."

"Tony, look at me." Gibbs waited until the younger man was looking. "Don't be ashamed. You don't need to be. Your father, however, is damn lucky I didn't know any of this until last night, because if I had, he'd be dead by now. Children should never be in that situation, ever. Especially not the ones that I know and care about."

Tony smiled. "Thank you, Gibbs."

"Now, Rachel is coming here at eleven am, and I want you to talk to her. Even if you don't necessarily talk about this, you need to talk to her. Is that understood?"

"Yes, boss." Tony disappeared into the bedroom, returning a moment later with his go bag that he had grabbed from his car before going to bed.

* * *

Eleven am came so quickly. Tony was just washing his breakfast dishes when he heard the front door opening. He knew who it was, so he continued with his dishes until he heard Rachel step into the kitchen.

"Hi Tony, I'm told my services are needed here this morning," said Rachel.

Tony turned off the water and gave Rachel a smile that betrayed his real feelings. "You could say that," he said without any humour.

Feeling odd, and knowing that something big must be going on for Tony to not try and make light of the situation, Rachel came over and hugged him. Normally, she wouldn't even think of touching a patient, but Tony wasn't just a patient. He was her friend, and she cared about him.

"Gibbs said you probably won't want to talk about what's bothering you straight away. Is he right?"

Tony shrugged. He sat at the dining table, gesturing for Rachel to join him. "I know I should tell you..."

"You don't have to tell me anything if you aren't ready, Tony. My job is to help you, and it doesn't help if I force you to talk when you aren't ready."

"Thank you," Tony said half-heartedly. "But I do need to get it off my chest, before it ruins my life more than it already has."

A thought occurred to Rachel then. "Have you tried to tell me any of this before, Tony?"

Tony nodded. "Once. I almost tried a second time."

"Okay. Start from the beginning."

"Are you sure? This started when I was nine, Rachel."

Rachel suddenly felt like she had been slapped in the face. Gibbs had mentioned their case and the child abuse factor when she had spoken to him earlier that morning, and now it clicked into place. She felt sick as she realised what Tony had been through, but she managed to swallow the anger.

"Tell me," she said, her voice even from years of practice.

Tony swallowed his fear and started to speak.

* * *

Gibbs walked up to his desk, aware of the stares McGee and Bishop were giving him.

"DiNozzo isn't coming in today," said Gibbs before anyone could speak.

"Is he okay? He's been working really hard on two cases all week long," said Bishop.

"He's alright. He should be back on Monday, as long as he's rested properly by then."

"Can I call him?"

"Not today. He should still be asleep." Gibbs wasn't going to break Tony's trust. "Have we got a case today?"

"Director Vance said he wasn't giving us anything today so we could still have a weekend. He gave us some cold cases to look over," McGee told Gibbs before handing a file over and going back to his own one.

* * *

Tony felt tears stinging his eyes, but he blinked them back. "I was nine years old when my father first did it. We were at a hotel in Orlando. I literally begged him to stop, but he just kept going. It hurt so much, and after he did stop, I bled for nearly half an hour."

"How long did he do it for?" Rachel asked gently.

"Fifteen minutes."

Rachel shook her head when Tony wasn't looking to clear her anger. "Keep going."

"It happened constantly until I was twelve. I lost track of how many times a year he did it. And it wasn't just molestation, either. He beat me if I didn't satisfy his needs and even made me strip naked in front of his friends so they could see what I looked like and then choose if they wanted me. One of them molested me in my bedroom after that, and it went for forty minutes. After he finished, he beat me until I was bleeding."

"Did anybody do anything?"

"Like who? I never told anyone until last night."

Rachel nodded. She didn't want to push anything just yet, but she needed more information if she was going to be able to help. "What brought these memories up?"

"Our last case. We came across child abuse, and I couldn't get out of it this time. Usually, I find a way to avoid those cases that involve child abuse."

"Have other cases, even superficially, brought anything up?"

"Yeah, sometimes, but never to the point where I couldn't handle it. This case has kept me up every night since Monday. I've been working late each night to avoid sleeping. I didn't want any nightmares."

"That makes sense." Rachel took a deep breath. "Look, Tony, I'm here to help. But you need to be ready to accept that help. Can you do that?"

"Yes. I've been trying to deal with this ever since I turned eighteen and got out of my father's custody. I can't do it alone, Rachel."

"What, no Dr Kate's Sister today?"

Tony shook his head, still not feeling up to being his usual clown self. "Can you help?"

"Of course I can. But it won't be easy."

"I figured."

"Then let's start right now."


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs stood and grabbed his jacket. "I'm on my cell if anyone needs me, but it had better be a real emergency if you call. I'll be back in a couple of hours, and do not call DiNozzo."

"Does that include me, Gibbs?"

Gibbs turned to find Vance standing next to Tony's desk. "Yes, Leon."

"And may I ask where Agent DiNozzo is? He has no active cases, and should be working on cold cases like the rest of your team."

"He's out for the day, and I wouldn't be surprised if he really is unwell. He hasn't slept in days, and I can't have him here putting everyone into danger because he isn't focused."

"Where are you going? To see him?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." Gibbs turned and started towards the elevator, using a single finger to gesture to Vance to do the same.

* * *

Once they were in the elevator, Gibbs pulled the emergency stop switch.

"Leon, I'm going to tell you something, and I can't tell you all of it, so you need to trust me."

"I'm listening," said Vance curiously.

"Tony may very well be sick, but that isn't why he's out today. Last night, after we wrapped up the case, Tony came over and told me some things that I promised not to repeat to anyone. But what he told me has me so angry, not with him but with his father, and I really don't want to deal with Senior at the moment. If I see him, I may very well kill him for what he's done."

"Tony's still at your place?"

"Yes. I called in some help this morning for him, and I really hope it does help, but I have to check on him."

"Go. Take as long as you need to. If Tony really isn't doing too well, stay with him. I know he looks to you when he needs support."

"Please, I know I didn't tell you much, but you cannot tell anyone about any of it. Okay?"

"Secret's safe with me." Vance meant that, he knew what it was like to have family secrets you didn't want anyone to ever know about. "Take care of him. Let me know what I can do to help."

Gibbs pulled the switch again. When the elevator stopped, Gibbs thanked Vance and stepped out, going to his car as he called Rachel.

* * *

Rachel heard her phone ringing in her bag for the third but ignored it. Tony had agreed to let her help, but he was yet to speak. Rachel knew he was having an internal debate with himself, but about what, she couldn't be sure just yet. She wasn't going to push or interrupt yet.

"Would you like some coffee?" Tony asked absently after a few more minutes of silence.

"No thank you. Are you ready to talk?"

"Yes." Tony sighed.

"I know that you and your dad have been talking. Have you ever tried to bring it up with him?"

"No. I pretended that was something that had never happened, because if I thought about it, I might have done something that I would regret." Tony frowned and looked away from Rachel just as Gibbs entered the house.

Rachel turned her head and smiled at Gibbs. She and Tony had moved into the living room, sitting on opposite couches.

"Boss," said Tony without looking up. "That was you calling Rachel, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Have I interrupted?"

"No," said Rachel. "I think it's time for a break. I'm going to go and freshen up."

Gibbs watched Tony until Rachel stopped next to him. Whispering into his ear, she said, "Tony needs some reassurance. He's told me what he went through, and has agreed to help, but he's battling with something at the same time. Maybe you can get him to talk."

"I'll try." Gibbs went and took a seat where Rachel had just been sitting. "How are you doing, Tony?"

"Good." Tony gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Am I needed at work?"

"Nope. I spoke to Vance before I came home. I told him that you are taking today off, and Monday too, if you need. I did not say anything to him, I promise, but I did say that I need him on stand-by just in case."

"Thanks, boss."

"Rachel tells me you agreed to let her help you through this."

"I did."

"Good. That's the first step towards healing."

"So I'm told."

"It's true. Trust me on that."

Tony nodded. "Okay."

"What's on your mind?"

"Rachel asked me if I had confronted him in recent years. I haven't."

"And it's bothering you, right?"

"A little. She's right, you know? It's weird to pretend like nothing happened. I had to pretend though, cause I can't look at him otherwise."

"That's his problem, not yours."

"Doesn't matter who the problem belongs to. He doesn't care that he's hurt me like he has. I'm the one that lives with it every single day. I'm the one that has nightmares on the rare occasions that I actually fall asleep. I'm the one that has sleepless nights, and I'm the one that works as late as I possibly can to avoid the chance of sleep in case I have nightmares." Tony took a deep breath and lowered his voice, having realised that he was getting louder with every sentence. "You know, when I had the plague and I was dying, that was the first time I slept without nightmares since it began. Then last night, that was the only other night I've been able to sleep soundly."

"Why?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't know."

"Yeah, you do. Tell me."

"I guess... I guess it's because I was here, and you were only a couple of rooms away. I felt safe. And in the hospital, I knew there was no way he could get in. Especially with Brad and Emma there."

Gibbs sighed. He had thought that would be the answer. Tony always told him that subtlety. "Tony, you know that I'm always here if you need me, but you are a grown man. You live alone. You need to find a way to get sleep, alright?"

"I think I can help with that," said Rachel as she joined them. "I overheard all of what you two were saying."

"Then why did you ask me to sit in?"

"Because Tony feels the most safe with you. He trusts you and feels comfortable talking to you. He wouldn't have told me any of that."

Tony smiled a little. "I would have, eventually," he said. "You are Dr Kate's Sister, after all."

Rachel laughed. "Nice to have you back, Tony. Although, I kind of liked it when you used my name."

"Not likely to happen again," said Gibbs as he stood and went into the kitchen. "I'm making lunch if you two are interested!"


	4. Chapter 4

After a late lunch, Gibbs had headed back to NCIS. Rachel was staying with Tony, so he knew that his agent was in good hands. He felt comfortable to leave, even though he knew that he wouldn't concentrate too much at work. Gibbs was at his desk, reading over the same note he had seen five minutes earlier when someone called his name.

"Bishop, what's wrong?" Gibbs asked as he looked up. "Right, I'll take him from here. Senior, follow me."

Frowning, Tony's dad followed Gibbs into the conference room. "I'm looking for Junior. Is he here?"

"Not today," Gibbs growled. "Sit down. I want to talk to you."

Senior sat in one of the chairs at the conference table, as close to the door as possible. He didn't have a very good feeling about this conversation.

Gibbs took a seat across the table, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep his anger in check this time. "You have a lot of explaining to do. And you're damn lucky that I only just found out about this, because you would be in a jail cell at the very least if I had known earlier."

"What are you talking about?"

"The way you treated your son. How dare you molest a child? What is your problem? And as if that wasn't enough, you beat him and stripped him naked to show him off? And let him be beaten and molested by your stupid friend? You destroyed that poor child, and you've ruined his entire life too. You are a rotten, dirty pig, and as soon as I get the chance, you'll pay for your crimes." Gibbs stopped talking, afraid that he would make things worse. "You know what, get the hell out of this building right now, and stay away from Tony. If you go anywhere near him, I'll throw you in prison myself."

* * *

Rachel and Tony laughed as they watched a comedic movie together. Again, that was something Rachel wouldn't normally do with a patient, but this was Tony, her friend. She had only a few friends these days, so she needed some down time. And she figured that she had pushed Tony enough for one day. He needed a break too. Kate had always told her about Tony's obsession with movies, and since she had come to know him, she realised how understated Kate's remarks had been.

"Do you want something to drink, Dr Kate's Sister?" Tony asked as he stood up.

"Coffee would be great actually. I can do it."

"No. You've done plenty for me today. I'll be a couple of minutes." Tony headed into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of mugs and started the kettle. He was just pouring the second cup of coffee when he heard a creak close by. "Rachel, are you still there?"

"Yeah. Why? Want some help?" Rachel called from the living room.

"No, just making sure you hadn't sneaked out now that your job is done for the day."

"Right, that's what I'll do," she replied sarcastically before laughing.

Tony laughed too, but he had pulled out his gun and was quietly making his way to the back of the kitchen. He raised his gun as he heard soft footsteps, knowing that it wasn't his boss. With his heart pounding inside his chest, Tony reached for the back door handle. It flung open before he touched it though, and Tony faltered. He took a step back, going for the coffee cups, as Senior entered the room. There was a grin etched onto his face that reminded Tony of every time the man had touched him. Shaking, Tony finally grabbed the first cup and threw it at his dad.

"AHHHHH!" shouted Senior. "You stinking idiot!"

Tony reached for the second cup just as his father's fist connected with his jaw. Dropping the cup, Tony stumbled and fell, clutching at his mouth. He could feel blood on his cheek where his father's class ring had cut him.

"Tony?" called Rachel.

Tony didn't answer. He could hear her footsteps and knew she would find him soon enough.

"Got a girl to protect you, hey? Can't protect yourself? Wimp!" taunted Senior as Rachel entered the kitchen.

"Let me guess? DiNozzo Senior?" she said, hatred filling her voice. "Let me tell you something, you jerk. Even after everything you put this man through, he is still the sweetest, kindest, most loyal and giving person in the whole world. Why you felt the need to victimise a nine year old child is beyond me, but I would bet that it has something to do with you not being able to get it up for another adult."

Senior turned his vicious look on Rachel, but she didn't flinch. It wasn't the first time someone had looked at her that way after the truth had come out. And it certainly wouldn't be the last either.

"You know nothing except the lies this dumb-ass here has told you." Senior turned back to Tony. "He's always been a liar, ever since..."

"Ever since what?" said a voice behind Rachel. "I thought I told you to stay away from him? What part of that didn't you understand?" Gibbs took a step forwards, his gun in his hand, though he had no intention of using it. "You see, it pays to keep up with current technology. Pocket dialing is a magical thing. You dobbed yourself in."

Senior momentarily was distracted. He took out his phone and looked at it, seeing that he had indeed called Gibbs' cell.

"Get away from Tony, or I will shoot you."

Senior didn't move until Gibbs raised the gun again. Then he stepped forwards, reaching for Tony. Gibbs dropped the gun and moved forward, stepping between Tony, who was on the floor still, and Senior. In one quick move, Gibbs had Senior by the front of his jumper and was dragging him to the front door.

"I'll be calling the police when I go back in, just as soon as I take care of your son. You'll be in prison by the morning. I'm giving you a ten minute head start because I know that this is going to destroy what's left of that young, decent human being inside." Gibbs slammed the door and locked it, then pulled his phone out of his pocket again to call Metro PD.


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs finished talking to a friend of his at Metro PD just as he entered the kitchen again.

"Tony, I'm sorry to do this to you, but you're going to have to make a statement. I have a friend of ours coming here so that you feel more comfortable, alright?" Gibbs asked as he pulled a bag of frozen corn from the freezer and handed it to Rachel. "I'll clean him up first, Rachel."

Wetting a small towel, Gibbs returned to Tony. He carefully and gently cleaned the blood off Tony's face, then left the towel with Tony just in case he needed it. He saw Rachel wrap the corn in a tea towel and press it against Tony's jaw as he grabbed his first aid kit and returned to Tony. He pulled out some cotton and saline that Ducky had given him. He quickly cleaned the small cut on Tony's cheek, then helped the younger man up.

"Thank you, boss," mumbled Tony.

"Don't worry about it. Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked him as she readjusted the rapidly defrosting corn.

"I'm fine Rachel. Just a bit sore." Tony tried to smile a little bit, but his jaw was too sore for it. "Okay, very sore."

"I'm calling Ducky," said Gibbs as he dug out his phone again.

Tony felt anger well up inside him. "I want to kill him!"

Rachel sighed. She dropped the corn onto the dining table and turned Tony to face her. "Tony, you have every right to be angry, but you need to work this out. Your father will spend the rest of his life in prison, but if you don't deal with this now, you will never be free."

"You don't think I know that!? I have tried and tried and tried, Rachel! I can't try anymore!" Tony got up and stormed off, heading outside into the front yard.

* * *

A sudden bang from the front yard had Gibbs an Rachel racing outside. They found Tony on the ground, his arms covering his face as Senior continued to punch and kick him. The sound of sirens was getting closer, but they were still too far away.

"Rachel, pull Tony out of the way!" called Gibbs as he grabbed Senior from behind and yanked him off Tony.

Rachel had already had the thought. She took hold of Tony and carefully dragged him away, helping him to sit up once they were well clear of the angry Senior.

"Tony, talk to me," said Rachel as she checked his head for any cuts and bumps. "Are you hurt?"

Tony shook his head, shivering as fear ran through him. He felt as helpless as he had when he was nine. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and clung to Rachel for physical and emotional support. He felt Rachel wrap his arms around his back, and he leaned backwards a little bit. They both looked over at Gibbs, who was busy dragging Senior by his collar to the newly arrived police car. Gibbs was screaming at Senior to shut his mouth before Gibbs shut it for him.

"I gave you a head start, told you I was calling the cops, and you chose to stay here to hurt Tony again. You are lucky I'm not int the mood to deal with you right now, or you'd be dead," they heard Gibbs say to Senior as he was shoving him into the police car.

* * *

"Gibbs, where is Agent DiNozzo?" asked one of the officers named Matthew.

"Matt, he's hurt. Physically and mentally. Take it easy, and I'll have Ducky here pretty soon to look him over."

"I need to speak with him, get a statement."

"You need to be careful with this, Matt."

"This isn't my first child abuse case, Gibbs."

"Right, but this is Tony we're talking about. He doesn't respond if you treat him like a number. He'll shut down. If he doesn't feel safe and comfortable, he won't speak to you. Remember to treat him like you would if he wasn't the victim in this case."

"He is the victim."

"I know that, so does he, but he's already been humiliated enough by telling me last night and Rachel this morning. Don't make it worse."

"I won't, Gibbs. I have done this multiple times. I'll keep him out here for now, but as soon as Ducky clears him, I want to take him somewhere private to talk properly."

"You can do that inside. He's not going to the station."

Matt nodded. He walked off, sitting down next to Tony.

* * *

Tony let his eyes wander around the yard until someone sat next to him. Instinctively, he moved closer to Rachel, wanting the comfort she always managed to provide.

"Hey, Tony, it's been a while," said Matt with a smile.

"Yeah... Let me guess, Gibbs called you?"

"He did. He also told me that if I even hurt you the tiniest bit, he'd kill me."

Tony smiled. That sounded exactly like his boss.

"Do you feel up to talking? I can wait until you get checked out if you like."

Tony looked away, feeling tears fill his eyes. "I can talk now, but Rachel has to stay."

"If you're comfortable with someone else here, that's fine."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. From the start."

Tony nodded. "From the start... I was nine. I knew it was wrong, but I was only a kid. What was I supposed to do? I begged him and pleaded with him, but he didn't listen. Not once did he listen. He would hurt me almost every night, and I would cry and ask him to stop every night. That wasn't fair, Matt. How could he do something like that to a child? To his own son?"

Matt shook his head, wishing he could answer the question. It broke his heart to see such a strong person break down like that, and there wasn't anything he could do to help.

"Once, he told me that I was a wimp for crying. That I should enjoy the contact of another human being. You know I have never actually had a real relationship with anyone? That was why Wendy and I broke up. She knew about my past, and it finally became too much for her to handle. Bless her, she actually tried to stay with me, tried to understand why I never wanted to sleep with her, why sharing a bed was often too hard for me. The poor woman tried so hard, Matt."

"That isn't your fault, Tony. None of this is your fault."

"Doesn't matter, does it? It doesn't help me feel any better."

"What doesn't help you feel better, Anthony?"

Tony, Rachel and Matt looked up to find Ducky there. He was looking at Tony with concern.

"Nothing, Duck," said Tony, not wishing to tell the older man as well.

"Okay." Ducky sat down on the grass on front of Tony. "How are you feeling? Do you feel sick?"

"I don't know how I feel, Duck. I really don't."

"He has a bump on the back of his head," Rachel said. "We were inside when he got hurt, so we didn't see what happened."

"He pushed me into Gibbs' garbage bins," said Tony angrily. "They're very hard."

Ducky nodded. "You have bruises forming already. How did that happen?"

"He was beating the crap out of me." Tony had put his stoic mask firmly back in place.

Ducky shook his head, anger filling him at how stupid one person could be. Who hit their own adult child these days anyway? Ducky took a deep breath and calmed himself down, then reached out to feel the back of Tony's head. He was always amazed at how strong Tony was. All the slaps from Gibbs, yet he never got a concussion or any other damage.

"The bump isn't too bad. Some ice should fix that in no time. And you aren't bleeding, which is also a good thing."

"So no hospital visit?" Tony asked hopefully. He was worried that a hospital visit would reveal the rest of his secret- the part he hadn't told anyone about yet.

"Let me finish before I decide that." Ducky helped Tony take his jacket off and immediately sensed that something else was wrong. Tony had been resting his left arm awkwardly before taking the jacket off, and now he was cradling it. "Is your shoulder sore, Anthony?"

"A little bit. I hit it on the ground."

"I think you've dislocated that shoulder. I can pop it back into place, but that warrants a hospital trip and x-rays. I know you hate the hospital, but there is no way you are leaving your shoulder like that."

Tony sighed. He should have known that he wasn't lucky enough to avoid the hospital. "Can you at least get Brad to be there?"

"That, I can do." Ducky told Rachel to call an ambulance while he called the hospital to request Brad be there when Tony arrived.


	6. Chapter 6

Forty minutes later, Tony was finally being wheeled into the ER at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Brad was waiting, which gave Tony a sense of relief. If anyone was going to find out his secret, he was glad that it was Brad. After all, the man was Tony's good friend, and he knew that he could trust the doctor.

"What happened?" Brad asked Ducky as they followed the paramedics and a couple of nurses into a trauma bay.

"His father happened," said Ducky, leaving the details to Tony. "I popped his left shoulder back into place before we left Gibbs' house, and he was given morphine in the ambulance, but I don't think it's helped him very much."

Brad nodded as he took the medical chart from the paramedics. He frowned when he read the injuries that the medics had found in their initial assessment. It seemed like a lot of injuries for an ambulance to not be called immediately.

"Tony," said Brad. "Tell me what happened. Everything."

"No thank you." Tony shook his head. "Sorry, but no."

Brad nodded. "Okay, I'm going to get some x-rays of your shoulder, and I want to check that bump to your head."

"Then I can go home?"

"We'll see. That's just a start. You missed your last physical with me, so now you can have that done too."

"Really?"

"Really."

Tony sighed, knowing there was no way to get out of this. He had purposely skipped his appointment because he didn't want anyone to know what had happened the day before.

"Relax, Tony," said Brad with a grin. "I'll be nice."

Tony snorted. "Sure you will." But he laughed anyway, a nice change from the past week.

* * *

Brad had sent Ducky and the nurses out of the room once the medics had left. There was something Tony wasn't telling him, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. He had already taken Tony's x-rays, and was now carefully bandaging the injured shoulder. Tony had been lucky that Ducky had put the shoulder back into place- the only damage now was some bruising and slight swelling that would heal in a couple of days.

"Tony, what did your father do that you're injured like this?"

"He pushed me into garbage cans. I hit my shoulder on the ground."

"Why did he push you?"

"Because he's a jerk, Brad. That will never change."

"It's not right."

"You're telling me? Can I please go now?"

"Nope. I haven't even begun to check you over yet. How's your chest feeling? Not tight?"

"No. I'm good."

"What about breathing? Any problems there?"

"No."

"That's good." Brad pulled out a stethoscope and listened to Tony's chest for a moment. "I don't hear any problems."

"Told you."

Brad smiled. "You like to pretend everything's fine when it isn't. I'm not stupid."

Tony grinned. "Hey, I gotta try, don't I?"

"I'd prefer it if you just told me the truth, actually. But I know you won't do that, so I'll just keep doing my job."

Tony laughed. He was glad that Brad was his friend.

"Alright. Let's get you checked out so you can go home." Brad put his stethoscope around his neck and then helped Tony take off his jacket, being careful to not hurt his shoulder. "I'll check your blood pressure first."

Normally, Tony would have willingly let Brad work. But today, all he wanted to do was run.

"Tony, come on, the quicker I get this done, the quicker you go home," said Brad gently.

"My blood pressure is fine. Ducky just checked it last week."

"A lot can change in a week. What's with you today?"

"Nothing," said Tony, a little too quickly.

"Now I know something is up. Talk to me. What's going on with you?"

With a sigh, Tony finally gave in. "My dad came down last Wednesday. We had been working hard on a case that involved child abuse, and it had already brought back memories that I've worked to forget. Seeing my dad only made things worse. I thought about confronting him, something I'd put off for far too long, but that turned out to be a bad idea. He grabbed my arm so tightly, I could feel it bruising within seconds. So I pushed him, just to get him off me. He decided to push back. He was drunk, I should have known better, but I was pissed off and I couldn't control the feelings inside me anymore. I was pushing his buttons big time that night, and he paid me back for it. He punched me a few times in the stomach."

Brad frowned. "Did you get checked out?"

"No. I went to work the next day and pretended like nothing had happened. I knew Gibbs was watching me the whole day, and he could tell something was wrong, but he never brought it up. I was grateful for that."

"Tony, you could have internal injuries. You should have called me."

"For another hospital trip? No thanks. You are a great friend, and I couldn't ask for a better doctor, but you know I hate the hospital, and you know why. I was fine, so there was no need for me to be here."

Brad shook his head. "You need to get checked out Tony. Is that why you cancelled your appointment?"

"Yes. I knew that there was no way I could come to you and not get found out."

"If you don't want to go to the hospital, call me. You know that I'll come to you."

"I still would have ended up here. To be quite honest, I know I'm not okay. My stomach hasn't stopped hurting since Wednesday night."

"Have you been bleeding?"

"No." Tony lifted his shirt up, revealing a large, purple bruise.

"Tony!" said Brad in shock. He gently touched the bruise and instantly knew that there was more to it than what could be seen. "You aren't going anywhere until I get a good look at that. Lay down."

Tony did what Brad said. With a bit of help, he managed to make himself somewhat comfortable, at least until Brad started poking and prodding his stomach.

"We'll get some scans and an ultrasound done right now, then we'll see what can be done." Brad wasn't disappointed in Tony, though he was angry with Tony's father. Worry was filling his mind as he quickly made the arrangements to get Tony checked properly.

* * *

Over an hour later, Tony was finally signing discharge papers. Brad had told him to go home and rest, but Tony had asked Gibbs if he could stay there a little longer. Gibbs was picking him up and they were going to stop by Tony's apartment to get some clothes.

"Ready to go, Tony?" Gibbs asked from the doorway. He was holding the prescription medication Brad had given him for Tony.

"Yes." Tony slid off the bed and followed Gibbs out. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you all of it."

"I'm not angry with you, Tony. I will kill Senior if I get my hands on him again, though."

Tony smiled. "Thanks Gibbs."

* * *

"Tony, Matt's here to take the rest of your statement," said Gibbs the next morning. Sunday was looking like a gloomy day outside, and it matched everyone's moods perfectly.

"Okay." Tony picked up his coffee and moved into the living room, making himself comfortable on the same couch he had used the previous morning with Rachel.

"Hey, Tony. How are you doing?" Matt asked a minute later.

"I'm in pain and I'm angry. How are you?"

"I'm okay. Are you ready to finish your statement?"

"Yes." Tony took a deep breath. "I kept trying to get him to stop, but he didn't care. He's molested me, beat me, even paraded me in front of his friends, naked. It lasted until I was twelve, then I got sent to boarding schools. The first two were just as bad as being home with my dad. Staff and kids beat me and molested me. I learnt that if I started acting out, it stopped the abuse. I got kicked out of so many schools until I ended up at Remington Military Academy. That was the first time I felt at home, the first time I could be myself. I still didn't say anything, just in case, but I was able to learn, to succeed. When I went to college, I made friends."

"Have you ever confronted your dad?"

"Not until last Wednesday. And that was a big mistake. He beat me again."

"And he did that yesterday as well?"

"Yes. He started in the kitchen, but Gibbs walked in and stopped him. I didn't realise he was outside until I got out there. He was angry and just started attacking me."

"Alright. I have enough to charge him and put him away for life. Do you want to add anything else?"

Tony shook his head. Looking at Matt, Tony felt relieved for the first time in his life. He thanked his friend as Matt was leaving.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to kwittbugginme and DS2010 for the constant reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it all.**

* * *

Now that Matt was gone, Tony was intending to try and sleep for a while. Brad had already told Gibbs about Tony's extra, hidden injuries, so Tony figured that Gibbs wouldn't disturb him. But he was wrong. Gibbs sat down on the couch across from Tony, a look on his face that clearly said they needed to talk. Tony started feeling worried that Gibbs was going to tell him off now that they weren't in public, so he started to shake. Even though he knew Gibbs would never hurt him, the previous week's events had left him feeling unsure of anything he had always known to be true.

"You can relax Tony, I just want to talk about something."

"I knew it. You are mad a t me," said Tony quietly.

"No, I'm not. Tony, I have to apologise to you."

"Never apologise, boss, it's a sign of weakness," Tony said automatically.

Gibbs smiled one of his rare smiles that was usually reserved for Abby. "Not this time. If I had known what you went through as a child, I never would have started slapping you. Honestly, I always thought you cringed before each slap because it hurt, but now I realise it's not that. It's a reaction, a reflex you have because it must seem like I'm doing the same thing your father did."

"No. When you get angry with me for something that I feel doesn't warrant the anger, that's when I start feeling like a helpless kid again. The slaps don't bother me."

"Is that why you never argue with me when you feel like you're in trouble for something you shouldn't be?"

"Yes. I learnt the hard way not to argue the point, even if I was right."

"Oh, Tony, I am so sorry. Please, tell me to shut up if I'm becoming too much. I never, ever wanted to make you feel worthless."

Tony shook his head. "You don't, boss. Even when it feels like you are pissed at me, you don't make me feel that way."

"Are you sure? I see your reactions sometimes, and I really feel like I've hurt you."

"I'm sure." Tony yawned. "I might go to sleep for a while, is that alright?"

"Of course. Do you want to go upstairs?"

"This couch is good." Tony stretched himself out so he was laying flat on the couch. "Thanks, Gibbs. You're support really means a lot to me." He didn't hear the reply though, as he fell asleep a second later.

* * *

When Tony awoke, it was dark outside. He stretched carefully, then got up, looking for Gibbs. He wasn't surprised when he found him only a moment later, working on a high chair in the basement.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Tony?" Gibbs replied without looking up. "Did you get enough rest?"

"Probably not, but it's enough for now. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. Figured I'd wait until you woke up. We can go to the diner."

"That sounds nice." Tony smiled happily.

"Let me wash up, then I'll drive us there."

"Thank you, boss."

* * *

Tony liked the diner, and he knew exactly why Gibbs loved it too. The waitresses were nice, the chef very friendly. Even the other customers were lovely. They all welcomed Gibbs warmly.

"Danni, I'll have my usual," said Gibbs. "Thank you."

"Always. And what about you, young man? Did you see something you want on the menu?" Danni asked Tony.

"Uh... Chips sound nice."

"Our bowl of chips is small. Are you sure you want that?"

"I'm not that hungry, actually," admitted Tony, who was still feeling the effects of the morphine tablets Brad had given him to take home.

"Well, if you change your mind, just yell. What drink would you like?"

"Just water, thank you." Tony gave the woman a smile before she walked away.

"You okay, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"Pain killers are still in my system. I'm not hungry."

Gibbs nodded. He understood that. After all, he had been injured enough times to know that while morphine was in your system, you never felt hungry. "Alright."

"Boss, when can I come back to work?"

"As soon as you're ready. But don't rush. If you aren't ready, I don't want you there."

"I need to work, Gibbs. I know you understand that."

"I do." Gibbs sighed. "But this is a time for you to heal, not bury it once again. You've done that for long enough. It's time to deal with it."

"I don't know how to."

"That's what Rachel is there for. She's going to help you through this, Tony. And your dad will be charged, I'll make sure of that."

"Thank you," said Tony with the first genuine smile he had given in a long time. "And thank you for believing me, boss."

"Tony, I will always believe you. No matter what happens, I will believe you."

With a smile and a much lighter burden on his shoulders, Tony finally relaxed. He was safe. Senior couldn't hurt him anymore, especially not with Gibbs around to protect him. Nobody would ever make Tony feel like crap again, and he could now look after himself properly. It was finally over, finally just a horrible memory.

 **The End**


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